Farebox



June 7, 1938.

E. M. MACDONALD FAREBox Filed Aug. 27, I1956 2 sheets-sheet 1 INVENTOR.

ATTORNE .5;

June 7, 1938.

E. M. MACDONALD FAREBoX Filed Aug. 27, 1936 Z'SheetS-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. [g/7e Mara/oci? Nacdonaa/ 69% @MQW v Pny ATTORNEYS Patented `Iune 7, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE hlo Application August 27, 1936, Serial No. 98,225

Claims.

The present invention relatesto a novel and improved farebox construction for the receipt and deposit of co-ins, fares, and the like, on peripatetic vehicles such as trolleys, trains and busses. invention is to provide a farebox of a construction adapted to better protect the contents of the farebox against tampering, theft, pilferage, or opening by unauthorized persons.

More particularly,the construction embodying my invention provides `a vault normally adapted to be contained in the bottom portion of the fare box and to receive the fares and coins deposited therein. Such vault possesses a receiving openi5 ing and a door for closing such opening, together with means for automatically closing and locking the door when the vault is removed from the farebox. The invention also provides means for holding the 4door in open position when the vault is inserted into the farebox.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tell tale or indicating means visible from the exterior of the farebox which is capable of immediately informing an inspector, collector, or

similar authorized person whether an attempt has been made to extract the contents of the farebox by a coin extracting instrument or fishing too Additional objects and advantages of the invention shall become apparent as the following description proceeds. l

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of the various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings:

Fig. l is an elevational view, partially broken away, of my improved farebox construction Fig. 2 is a view taken upon a plane normal to that of Fig. l; Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional View of the farebox vault construction, showing the vault and its associated and cooperating parts in partially removed position with respect to the farebox; Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the farebox vault in normal position when fully inserted in the farebox; Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view, taken substantially along line 5 5 of Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but showing the parts in a different position and corresponding to that of the parts as The general object and nature of myy shown in Fig. 4; Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along line 'I-l of Fig.

.4 and showing the locking elements of the vault door when the latter is in closed position; Fig.

8 is a View similar to that of Fig. 'l but showing 1x5 the locking elements of the vault door when the latter is in open position; Fig. 9 is an enlarged elevational view of the mechanism positioned on the interior wall of the farebox housing, which cooperates with the vault door opening and clos- @l1-b ing mechanism; Fig. 10 is an enlarged view of the construction of the tell tale plate; and Fig.

ll is a sectional View taken upon a plane normal to that of Fig. l0.v

Now referring more particularly to the draw- .15 ings, my fareboX consists generally, as shown in Figs. l and 2, of a housing I,with a fare or coin receiving opening 2 at its top end with the removable vault 3 positioned in its bottom. A handle 4 is provided on the front end of the vault =1`2`0 3. A door 5 is mounted upon the hinge 6 to the housing, which lcloses the opening inthe bottom of the farebox through which the vault 3 is removed and inserted.

Now directing attention to Figs. 3 to 6 inclu- 25 sive, the Vault 3 is in the form of a rectangular shaped box and has the casting I having the fare receiving opening 8, constituting its top wall. A slidable door 9 is mounted underneath the casting 'I and is adapted to close the open- :3o ing 8 when in closed position, as best shown in Figs. `3, 5, and 8. The bottom side of the door 9 contacts with and is movable over the bearing plate I0 which is mounted to the side walls of the vault 3 by means of rivets or other suitable Tg5 fasteners through the boss II. The cylinder lock housing I2 constitutes an integral partv of the bearing plate Ill and encloses the cylinder lock I3 and its appurtenant parts.

A longitudinal channel or slot I4 is provided 1.1i) in the medial portion of the door 9. An elongated abutment I5 is carried by the top casting l and extends into the slot I4. 'I'he end of the abutment I5 is'wedge-shaped as indicated at I6. A pair of transversely extending slots I'I.. are pro- 215 vided in the door 9 for the reception of the bars I8 whose inner ends 2l1arebeveled in order to substantially fit and contact with the wedge shaped end I B of the abutment I5. The outer ends 2| of the bars I8 are of curved form in 50 order to produce an Vinward movement of the bars I8 with respect to the 'door .fl when the former come in contact against the teeth22 of the gears 23. Slots I9 are provided inthe walls of the vault 3 for passage ofthe bars I8. 55

As best indicated Vin Fig. 9, the gears 23 are mounted upon stub shafts 24 in turn carried by the plates 25. Each one of the plates 25 is fastened to the inner side walls of the housing I ofthe farebox. A pawl 26, pivotally mounted upon the pin 26' engages with the teeth 22 of the gear 23 and 'prevents rotation of the latter in a direction opposite to that indicated by the curved arrow in Fig. `9. The curved arrow and the straight arrow in Fig. 9 correspondoto the direction of inward movement of the Vault 3 when it is inserted into the farebox housing Y A round headed pin 21 is spring loaded by the compression spring 28 carried in the channel 29 and bears against the intermediate portion of Vthe pawl 26 in order to retain the latter in operable position. v j v *Y Y The gear 23 meshes withasecondgear 30 mounted upon the stub shaft 3|. Argravity operated pawl 32, pivoted upon the pin'33 bears against Athe teeth ofthe gear 30 as'indicatedat 34. The

secondrgear 39 together with its pawl 32 serves as a safety device in the event that the pawl 26V should become'inoperative through sticking, or

breaking ofthe spring 28. Furthermore, the action of the spring 28the pawl 26, the gear 3|).v and the weighted pawl 32 operate as means V.for

imparting a slight resistance to the rotation of the gear 23 in the' direction of the curved arrow in Fig.'9. Y I Y The last described mechanism constitutes meansV for automatically closing the vault door 9 on its withdrawal from the farebox housing I and for simultaneously and automatically preventing the completewithdrawal of the. vault 3 until the door 9l is completely closed. VThe operation VVof this mechanism -is as follows: Referring rstto Figs. l and 6, the door 9 will Abe seen to'be in open position whereby'the opening in the top casting 1 'is 'in communicationA with the interior of the vault 3. In this position, the` bars I8 are held in a laterally projecting position be- 'yond each side oi the vault 3, withtheir ends 2| extending out through the slots V|9. As the vault 3 is moved outwardlyfrom the farebox housing,`

I, i. e., in a left hand direction with respect to Figs. 3 to 6 inclusive, the bars I8, bearing against the'gear teethV 22 of the gears 23 (which latter are locked against rotation in the direction which the bars |8 tend to move then on outward movement ofthe vault 3) carry the door 9` to `closed position, and not until the door 9 Yreach-es such i closed position do the innerends 20 of the bars I8 reach the end I6 of the'abutment I5.v At this Ypoint the bars I 8V are permitted to retract in- Vjecting laterally, that the bars I8 will bear against the teeth 22 substantially in the manner shown by the straight arrow in Fig. 9 and that the slight resistance to rotation of the gear 23 will hold the ,door 9 in open position as the vault 3 is inserted Yinto the farebox housing Thus any tendency'of'the door 9 to slightly close upon the inserting movement of the vault 3, would be prevented.

1t should be noted thatrslots 35 are provided tale plate inthe position shown in full in the plates 25 for the passage lof the ends Vof the bars I8.

The under side portion 40 of the door 9 is spaced from the upper wall thereof and provides a space 4| in which a pair of latch members 42 are pivotally mounted as at 43. A pair of round headed, spring loaded pins 44 bear against the free ends of the latch members 42 and tend to j force the latter into aV converging position. The

cylinder lock I3 has a stem 45 connected. to the rotatable shaft 46. A striker member 41 ismountV ed upon `the end of the shaft 46 and is adapted to Y( i be engaged by the notches 48 infthe latch members 42 and by the outer ends of the latch mem-v bers 42, the latter engagement being bestV shown in'Fig. 7. An Lshaped opening 49 is provided in Y the bottom wall portion 40 of the door 9 in order to permit the passage of the door 9 with respect to the striker member, and also to Apermit rotation of the striker member 41 toinoperative position asV Ymoving the door 9 towardfopen position, once thek latter hasrbeen moved topartially closed; position. When the door 9 occupies 'fully closed position as shown in Fig. 7, the ends'oi the latch `members 42 are forced by the spring loaded pins from open position as v 44 to abut against the side of the striker mem- 1 ber 41 and thereby prevent any further opening of the door 9 until an authorized person operates the cylinder lock striker member 41 to unlocked position whereit clears the ends of the latch members 42 and per- Ymits the doorV 9 to be opened with the ngers.v

Referring barclrrto-FigsrlA and 2, and also to Figs. 10 and 11, substantially the upper half `portion of the fareboX housing llconstitutes a fare'receiv- I3 and thereby rotates thel ing passage. whose walls -50 are composed of glass f so that the interiorr of such passage is visible from outside the farebox. Baffie plates 5| and 52` are mounted in angularly.` inclined positions from the vertical in the interior of theY fare receiving .passage dened by the walls 59. A tell tale plate 53 is mounted upon theunder side of the bafle 5| and projects slightly beyond the lower end there of. The projecting end of the plate 53'is serrated yas indicated at 54. mounted by means ofthe hinge '55, to theV VLJ? 'shaped rod 56.'V

Vslidably mounted in the.' guides l58 which inV turn are secured to Ythe under side of the baffle plate 5|. The outer ends of the legs V5l are'laterally bent as indicated at 59 in order to limit the downward movement of the bar 56 with respect to the baille plate 5|. n f

The tell tale plate 53 has an opening 69 which Y is larger than the head ofthe headed pin 6 The headed pin 6| is mounted upon the baifleplate 5I and extends through theA opening 69 and engages Y with its edge in order to normally retain the Vtell Figs. 2 and 11.

`The plate 53 1 is 'pivotally The 1egs'51 of the rod 56 are I Y Y lines inV When pilferage or theft of the contents ofthe Y Y farebox might'be attempted by inserting a coin or fare extracting instrument, orfi'lshing toolV Vthrough the opening 2, such instrument must necessarily come in contact with the serrated edge plate 5l until the headed pin 6l clears the edge of the hole 60. As the plate 53 reaches such position, it will be permitted to hang in a Vertical position as shown by the dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 11. In this manner, attempted theft or tampering with the contents of the farebox will be immediately indicated to authorized persons upon inspection, and an appropriate investigation may then be instituted.

Practically any type of coin extracting instrument will operate the tell tale plate 53. Such instruments usually consist of a ieXible metal strip with a gripping tongue or a piece of chewing gum on the end, or a string with a magnet or grasshopper tied to the end. Such instruments must necessarily contact with the projected edge of the tell tale plate 53, and once they are started on their withdrawing movement from the farebox (which is necessarily the case in the operation of such instruments), the plate 53will be tripped to a vertically hanging position.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. In a farebox, the combination of a removable vault adapted to be inserted into and then withdrawn from the base of sai-d farebox, a slidable door in the top of said vault, transversely extending slots in said door, bars longitudinally movable in said slots, an abutment carried by said vault and adapted to be engaged by the ends of said bars on opening movement of said door whereby said bars are moved outwardly of said vault, and means positioned interiorly of said fareboX for engaging with the outer ends of said bars.

2. In a farebox, the combination of a removable vault adapted to be inserted into and then Withdrawn from the base of said farebox, a slidable door in the top of said vault, transversely eX- tending slots in said door, bars longitudinally movable in said slots, an abutment carried by said vault and adapted to be engaged by the ends of said bars on opening movement of said door whereby said bars are moved outwardly of said vault, and pawl and ratchet means positioned in the interior of said farebox and adapted to be engaged by the outer ends of said bars to permit l.

their passage on inward movement of said vault with respect to said fareboX, and to prevent their passage on outward movement of said vault.

3. In a farebox, the combination of a removable vault adapted to be inserted into and then withdrawn from the base of said fareboX, a slidable Vdoor in the top of said Vault, transversely extending slots in said door, bars longitudinally movable in said slots, an abutment carried by said vault and adapted to be engaged by the ends of said bars on opening movement of said door whereby said bars are moved outwardly of said vault, gears mounted on the interior of said fareboX having teeth adapted to be engaged by the outer ends of said bars, and pawls engaging said gears whereby the latter are rotatable only in a direction corresponding to the inward movement of said bars and of said vault with respect to said` farebox.

4. In a farebox the combination of a removable vault adapted to be inserted into and withdrawn from the base of said farebox, a door slidable in the top of said vault, means for automatically closing said door when said vault is removed from said fareboX, a key operated lock mounted in said vault, a rotatable striker member connected to and operable through said lock, and a pair of pivoted latch members carried by said door and adapted to engage with said striker member when said door is moved to closed position, said striker member being rotatable to a position Clear of said latch members, whereby Said door is movable to open position.

5. In a farebox the combination of a removable vault adapted to be inserted into and withdrawn from the base of said fareboX, a door slidable in the top of said vault, means forautomatically closing said door when said vault is removed from said farebox, a key operated lock mounted in said vault, a rotatable striker member Connected to and operable through said lock, a pair of pivoted latch members carried by said door and adapted to engage with said striker member when said door is moved to closed position, said striker member being rotatable to a position clear of said latch members, whereby said door is movable to open position, and a plurality of notches in said latch members, said notches being adapted to engage with said striker member and to lock said door against opening movement when the latter approaches closed position.

EUGENE MURDOCK MACDONALD. 

